Insulation-cutter.



E. F. GHYTRAUS. INSULATION CUTTER. APPLIOATION rmm r1212. 2a, 1908.

- 1,1135% PatentedDec.12,19l1.

"WITNESSES 25 -represents an elevational view of my device To all whom it may 1es'ra iais 11 m simian.

EMIL IE. CHYTRAUS, OF YONKIERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO OTIS ELEVATOR COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

INSULATION-CUTTER Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 28, 1908. Serial No. 418,394.

Be it known that I, EMIL F. GHYTRAUS, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Insulation-Cutters,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tools for cutting insulation or other covering from a wire or the like, and, although it is particularly adapted to the cutting of insulation from electric wires or conductors, it may'have a general application.-

The object of the present invention is the provision of simple and efiicient means for making a circumferential cut in the insulation or covering of wires or conductors to facilitate the removal of a portion of such insulation either at an end of the wire or intermediate of its ends.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel combinations of elements being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 with an insulated wire in position to have the cutting edge inserted into the insulation; Fig. 2 represents the position of the parts after the cutting member has been inserted into the insulation preparatory to rotating the insulated wire relatively to the holder; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but of a variation permittinga longitudinal adjustment of the blade; Fig. 3 is a side view of a construction similar to Fig. 1 with a gage added, but omitting the insulated wire; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a section of insulated wire after having had a portion of the insulation removed and another circumferential cut made; and Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the adjustable blade and bolder therefor, shown in Fig. 2*.

1 designates a handle which may be of any desired type, but is preferably of insulating material.

2 is a flat bar or blade which is fastened at one end to the handle 1 and is provided with a sharp cutting edge at its other end. The outer portion 4 of the blade is preferably hardened and tempered as desired, so

and the handle 1 is pivoted at 3 a carrier 5 which is limited in its movement in one direaction by the set-screw 6 and in its other direction by the crossieoe 7. Preferably the carrier 5 is a bloc made of a single casting and the blade 2 is pivoted in a slot in said block, so that the movement of the knife edge will be limited to a plane coinciding substantially with the plane of said slot. The carrier comprises two curved jaws or holders 8, 8 which are preferably of the shape indicated in Figs. 1' and 2, with inner are shaped surfaces and of such a size as to conveniently hold the insulated wire 9 in such a position. that when the knife or cutting member is thrust into the insulation it will not cut the wireitself. It should be noted that thelower; portion of the carrier 5 may be trough-shaped, by having two side pieces between which the upper end of the blade 2 moves, andthe cross-piece 7 which carries the set-screw 6. Furthermore, there may be only one jaw 8 extending entirely across the block, if desired.

The cutting edges of the upper portion 4 of the blade 2 are so shaped that each will perform its function successfully and as required to properly-effect a circumferential cut in the insulation entirely around the wire. As indicated in Fig. 2, the cutting edge 10 slants upwardly to substantially a' point where it meets another cutting edge 10' which is preferably L-shaped, the slanting portion 10' being intended to do mostof the cutting. When the insulated wire is first'inserted as indicated in Fig. 1, it and a carrier 5 are together held firmly in position with one hand while with the other handle 1 is moved intothe position indicated in Fig. 2 so as to cut into the insulation covering the wire. Now, upon holding the insulated wire stationary and moving the handle 1 so as to rotate the carrier 5 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, the cutting edge 10' will cut the insulation circumferentially. Or the handle 1 may be held in fixed position and the insulated wire rotated clockwise as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2. When the insulated wire is first inserted as indicated in Fig. 1 it may again be easily removed, but after the handle has been brought to the position indicated in Fig. 2 the insulated wire is practically locked in position. So also all the time that the handle 1 rotates the carrier in an anticlockwise direction, the edge bearing against the insulation will hold the insu- 5 lated Wire firmly in the jaws 8, 8. It will therefore be seen that after the tool has been brought to its proper position, as indicated in Fig. 2, it will automatically cling to the insulated wire until the circumferential cut has been made, when the handle 1 may be brought back to its initial position and withdrawn easily from the insulated wire. The position of the cutting edge 10 with respect to the carrier 5 may e adjusted by the setscrew 6. By moving the screw inwardly, the cutting edge is adjusted to position for cutting the insulation on a wire of larger diameter. A look nut may be used, if desired, to hold the. set-screw in adjusted position. In the other form shown in '2 the blade 2 j is adjustably mounted in a holder which, as here shown, consists of a channel member 16 comprising a flat base 17 and side flanges 18, 18. This blade 2 is provided with a longitudinal slot 19 through which the pivot 3 extends, and a slot 20 to receive the thumbscrew 21, whereby the blade may be adjusted to any desired position with respect to the carrier 5 which is pivoted to the channel member 16, The set-screw 6 may be used, if desired, in conjunction with the thumbscrew 21 to secure greater refinement of adjustment.

Fig. 3 shows a gage 12 comprising a horizontal portion extending through openings 13 in the jaws 8, and a vertical portion 14 which forms a stopv for the end of the insulated wire. The distance between the stop 14 and the blade 2 will determine the length of the section of insulation to be removed. This may be adjusted as desired and the gage held in adjusted position by the setscrew 15. I v

The device shown in the several figures is particularly adapted to the cutting of hard or brittle insulation from comparatively large wires, and after the circumferential out has been made the insulation may be pulled off the wire or broken off with a ammer. An intermediate section of the insulation may be removed'by making two circumferential cuts and breaking off the insulation between the cuts in any desired manner. The gage 12 need not interfere with the removal of an intermediate section of insulation, as by loosening the set-screw 15 the gage may e1ther be removed entirely 1 or the stop 14 swung out of the path of the insulated wire.

Obviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrange'ment of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I desire therefore not to be limited to the 65 precise construction herein disclosed.

connected to the other end, a block pivoted Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to have protected by Letters Patent of the United States member having two knife edges, and a carrier connected to said member for receivin the insulated wire to permit one of sai knife edges to make an initial cut in the insulation and then to permit the other knife edge to complete a circumferential cut in said insulation. 1

2. The combination with a blade having a double knife edge at one end, of a handle to said blade, and one or more curved jaws for receiving the insulated wire.

3. Thecombination with a blade having a cutting ed e, of a handle connected thereto, a metallic block pivoted to said blade, and one or more curved jaws extending from said block to hold the insulated wire in position while the insulation is being cut by said cutting edge.

4. The combination with a blade having a cutting edge, of an actuating device connected thereto, a holder for the insulated wire pivoted to said blade, and means for adjusting the position of said cutting edge.

5. The combmation with a'blade having a cutting edge, of a handle connected thereto, a holder for the insulated wire pivoted to said blade, and a set-screw for adjusting the cutting position of the blade to vary the depth of the cut.

-6. The combination with a blade having two knife edges, of a handle connected to said blade, and a holder pivoted to said' blade so that when the insulated wire is inserted in position one of said edges may make an initial cut, and thereafter by rota- V tive movement of the, holder around the wire the other edge may make a circumferential cut.

7. The combination with a blade having two knife edges at an angle to each other, of an actuating device connected to said blade, and a carriervpivoted to said blade and having one or more curved jaws for receiving and holding insulated wire to perinit one of the cutting edges to make a preliminary or initial cut into the insulation, and thereafter permit the other cutting edge to cut theinsulation circumferentially upon rotation of the holder relatively to the insulated wire.

8. The combination of a blade having two 7 cutting edges at angles to each other, and one or more curved jaws pivoted to said blade and haying inner arc-shaped surfaces to receive the insulated wire and permit one of said cutting edges to cut the insulation to bring the other cutting edge into cutting position.

9. The combination vwith a blade, of a 1. The combination of a pivoted cutting I handle connected thereto, and a carrier pivoted to said blade, said blade having one knife edge for cutting into the insulation while held in theholder to bring another cutting edge into cutting position.

10. The combination with acarrier having two curved jaws with arc-shaped inner surfaces to receive insulated wire, of a blade having .two knife edges and pivoted in a slot in said holder, a handle connected to said blade, and a set-screw for limiting the movement of said blade to cutting position, one of said cutting edges making an initial cut into the insulation to bring the other cutting edge into cutting position, after which, upon rotation of'said receiving jaws, the insulated Wire will be automatically held therein and acir'cumferential cut may be made in the insulation. I

11; The combination with a carrier adapted to receive insulated wire, of a blade having two cutting edges pivotally connected to the carrier and adjustable toward and from the wire.

12. The combination with a carrier formed to receive insulated wire, of a channel member pivotedfthereto, a cutting blade mounted in'the channel member and adjustable toward and from the wire.

13. The combination with a carrier haying curved jaws, of a channel member pivoted to the carrier, a cutting blade mounted in said channel member and adjustable longitudinally therein, and a handle secured to said member.

14. The. combination of a holder shaped to receive an insulated Wire, of a two-edged cutting member pivoted thereto with its &

axis parallel with the wire when the latter is in position in the holder.

15. The combination of a carrierprovided with holding jaws shaped to receive an insulated wire, and a cutter pivotally connected to said carrier and having its cutting edge movable between said jaws.

16. The combination of a carrier provided with holding jaws, and a cutter pivoted to the carrier and having a cutting edge movable between said jaws.

17. The combination of a holder shaped to receive an insulated wire, and a pointed cutter pivoted to the holder with its cutting edge in a plane perpendicular to the wire, and with the point movable into position to enter the insulation when the wire is in position in the holder.

18. The combination with a holder for an insulatedwire, of a cutter pivoted thereto and'having its cutting edge in a plane per- ;pendicular to the wire, and an adjustable stop for limiting the movement of the cutting edge toward the wire in the holder.

19. The combination with a holder for an insulated wire, of a cutting member having cutting edges converged to a point, said cutting member having a pivotal connection with the holder and movable into position to cause the-point to enter the insulation of the wire positioned in the holder.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

' EMIL F. OHYTRAUS.

\Vitnesses:

VV'M: DEATS, DAVID LARSON. 

